


SHIELD's Little Surprise - Part 6 - Interplanetary Adventures

by SHIELDAgentMD



Series: SHIELD's Little Surprise [6]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. References, Alien Abduction, Asgard, Exploration, F/F, Gen, Interplanetary Travel, Tender loving care, Thor: The Dark World
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-02
Updated: 2015-11-02
Packaged: 2018-04-29 14:37:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,259
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5131241
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SHIELDAgentMD/pseuds/SHIELDAgentMD
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is a fanfic based upon the incredible television series, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.  This is the sixth chapter in a series of stories that takes place not long after the Season 2 finale.  These stories are meant to be fun, sweet, thought-provoking and heart-warming.  </p><p>This particular story also makes references to images and depictions from the film: “Thor: The Dark World”.</p><p>A surprise visit from Lady Sif of Asgard propels the team into an unexpected mission... the seemingly impossible retrieval of two of their own.</p>
            </blockquote>





	SHIELD's Little Surprise - Part 6 - Interplanetary Adventures

**Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.**

**S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Little Surprise**

**Chapter 6 – Interplanetary Adventures**

 

This is a fanfic based upon the incredible television series, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.  This is the sixth chapter in a series of stories that takes place not long after the Season 2 finale.  These stories are meant to be fun, sweet, thought-provoking and heart-warming.  They *may* or may not contain scenes of corporal discipline (spanking), possibly of a minor child.  This is *not* a ‘condonement’ of spanking children in any way, and any such scene will be depicted in a very loving, non-abusive manner.  If this may still be a trigger for you, I encourage you not to read this series.

Every character referred to is directly from the show/Marvel Universe, and I hold NO claim to the characters or the plotlines of the show that many of my stories are based on.  I *highly* recommend watching the first two seasons of episodes before reading these stories, as many references to events in the episodes will be made, and therefore, better understood.   **WARNING:  These stories will contain spoilers from the show, up until the Season 2 finale.**   (Minus what happened to Jemma Simmons there, because I refused to accept that!  ;)  ) 

This particular story also makes references to images and depictions from the film: “Thor: The Dark World”.  These depictions will be referenced by _writing in italics_ , to show that they are not my creation.  Enjoy!

 

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

            It has been approximately three months since Skye touched the 0-8-4 and regressed to the tender age of 6…ish.  Aside from Skye’s little trip to Bobby’s sister’s house, the child has fallen into a familiar and comfortable routine with the Agents of SHIELD.  She is happy, healthy, is learning at an impressive rate, and everyone is positively in love with the child.

          One agent is in so deep that, though she plans never to admit it, it is leading her to keep a major secret from the team.  Jemma Simmons has actually managed to create a potential ‘cure’ to Skye’s regressed condition… but she has yet to tell anyone about it.  She pretends to continue working on it feverishly, when in truth she is really just conducting experiments and running tests that she knows will have no impact or benefit whatsoever. 

             The guilt of this secret is gnawing away at her, but she is too afraid to offer it up.  What if everyone else immediately jumps on the chance to return Skye to her adult self, and they lose the sweet, innocent little girl forever?  What if the grown-up Skye was here now, and knew about this choice… what would she choose?  Wouldn’t she want to be given this second chance, to recreate a childhood with consistency, where she felt wanted and safe and loved?

             Simmons doesn’t want to be the one who provides the means to steal this opportunity from her.  Whenever Coulson asks for updates, Jemma gives detailed descriptions of further tests she plans to run.  She also quickly volunteers to focus her efforts on literally any other scientific matters that pop up in their line of work.  Fitz would have been suspicious, no doubt, had his request to transfer out of the lab not been approved.  But it had, and Jemma now has the lab to herself most days.

              It is late morning on a Sunday when the team finds themselves in a small suburb of Paris called Limours.  It is a quiet and quaint little village, but they came across a lead that someone gifted is in hiding there.  Coulson pairs up May and Bobbi to be the Welcome Wagon, with Fitz conducting surveillance through every possible camera in town.  Coulson is coordinating from the Bus, and Mack and Hunter are stationed as back-up.

             This leaves Skye with Jemma, which always suits both just fine.  This morning finds them outside, in a nearby deserted field, happily playing hide-and-seek.  Skye is getting rather good at it… she has so far hidden behind and even within bushes, behind big rocks and around fences.  She even manages to squeeze inside a hollow log.  This leads to Simmons actually searching for a solid five minutes, until the little girl’s giggle gives her away.

             It is Jemma’s turn to hide when unbeknownst to her and Skye, the energetic portal transporting an Asgardian suddenly touches down about half a mile away in another field.  Fitz is alerted to this by an alarm on his tablet signifying a massive surge of energy in the vicinity.

             “Uh… sir?” he states, looking up to Coulson.  “It seems that someone is arriving from Asgard, approximately… er… right in front of us.”

             Coulson looks alarmed and speaks quickly into his comms.  “Team… fall back.  The Welcome must be postponed.  An Asgardian has just arrived,” he announces, straightening his tie and hurrying to the cockpit of the plane.

              Fitz follows him at a jog.  Once in the pilot’s station Coulson switches the view to a 360 degree thermal sensor and locates a presence walking swiftly toward the plane at about 500 yards away.  Infinitely grateful that the cloaking on the plane is still activated, he quickly marks the being’s location, then switches back to normal view and zooms way in.  Fitz stands by with his facial recognition software at the ready.

              When Coulson sees who it is, he breathes easier again.  “Ah… it’s Lady Sif,” he states in relief.  He relays this information to the rest of the team via the comms, then heads down the cargo ramp to greet the Asgardian warrior.

               Sif smiles slightly as she sees Coulson approaching, and crosses her arm across her chest in salutation.  “Greetings, son of Coul.”

               Coulson smiles back and returns the gesture.  “Greetings, Lady Sif.  It’s nice to see you again.  I hope all is well?”

               Sif straightens up and nods curtly.  “Indeed.  There is peace amongst the nine realms, and Asgard thrives.  I merely made the journey to follow up on the condition of your Agent Skye, as promised.”

              The Director blanches slightly.  Luckily Sif doesn’t notice this, as Fitz has just caught up and is greeting the warrior woman.  Sif had indeed proclaimed that she would be checking in from time to time to ensure that Skye was not a danger to herself or anyone else.  In all that had happened since their last meeting, he had completely put this out of his mind.  How on Earth is he going to explain the latest change in Skye’s condition??

             “Of course,” he responds, smoothing it over quickly.  “Well, all is well and Skye poses absolutely no threat to anybody.”  ‘No truer words have ever been spoken,’ he thinks.

             “I am glad to hear it.  I should like to meet with her.” Lady Sif states matter-of-factly, glancing around. 

              Coulson does some quick thinking.  “Well… I’m afraid she’s not in right now.”  Again, this was technically true.

              Sif looks at Phil, somewhat suspiciously.  “Very well.  I do not mind traveling to her current location.”

            Coulson glances at Fitz and sighs.  He comes to the conclusion that if he continues to stall or refuses to take Sif to Skye, that the Asgardian would assume the worst and possibly even attack.  While it will be hard to explain, perhaps once Sif sees that Skye no longer has her powers and is completely harmless, she will be satisfied and will leave the girl in peace.

             “All right.  I’ll take you to her,” he says heavily, feeling nervous yet. 

 

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

 

             Jemma had heard Coulson’s announcement through the comms, but as no order to return to the plane was issued, she had continued their game of hide-and-seek.

            Skye is currently well-hidden again, as she has managed to scramble up a small tree and lose herself amongst the foliage.  Simmons has been seeking her for a full five minutes already and is stumped.  She’s impressed at how good the youngster is getting at this.

            “Simmons,” comes Coulson’s clear voice from across the field.

             The scientist turns to face him.  “Yes, Director?” she calls back, watching him approach with the very tall, capable-looking woman in armor.  “Lady Sif,” she acknowledges, with a respectful curtsy.

             Sif bows her head in return, thinking silently to herself, not for the first time, how remarkably tiny humans could be.

            “Agent Simmons… Lady Sif is here to check on Skye and her… condition.” Coulson says pointedly.

            Jemma blinks, “oh… oh, I see.”  She pushes hair out of her eyes and looks carefully at Coulson for some instruction on what to do.  When Coulson nods resignedly, Jemma understands that they need to produce the child.  “Um… very well.”  Simmons turns and faces the field, then calls out, “Skye!  I give up, darling!  Come on out!”

             The three adults scan the field until a giggle sounds from the trees to the east.  They all turn in time to see a small child jump down from the branches of a nearby sycamore.

             Skye giggles as she runs excitedly over to Jemma.  “You didn’t found me!”  She announces.  “I win!”

             The little girl turns to Director Coulson to boast about her win as well, and then spots the tall, intimidating woman next to him.  “Ohh,” she exclaims quietly, moving behind Jemma nervously.

             Simmons gives the little girl a reassuring smile and reaches back to stroke her cheek.

             Coulson looks to Skye and smiles.  “Skye… this is Lady Sif.  She is visiting here from Asgard… which is very, very far away,” he states with a slight smirk.  He turns to the bewildered look on Sif’s face.  “My Lady… this is Skye.”

             Simmons gently tries to encourage Skye to greet the Asgardian, but Skye is feeling very timid and nervous… and apparently for good reason.  Sif suddenly whirls around at Coulson, angrily.

            “What sort of sorcery is this?!” she demands in a booming, menacing voice. 

             Coulson blinks and puts his hands up in a gesture of goodwill.  “Your Ladyship, please… there is an explanation…”

            “This is beyond anything we could have imagined,” Sif declares.  “This is dark sorcery… and it is a danger to all!”  The Asgardian goes so far as to unsheathe her sword.

             With a frightened cry, Skye turns and starts to run as fast as she can away from the angry warrior.  Simmons chases after her… “Skye!”

            Both Coulson and Fitz give chase as well, but the tall Asgardian warrior is quickest.  She runs after the child and quickly catches up.  She knocks Jemma aside none too gently and grabs up the little girl, who screams in fright.

            “You have betrayed our trust, son of Coul.  This is yet another abomination.” Sif calls out angrily.  “Heimdall, open the Bifrost,” Sif commands, holding the struggling child tight.

            Both Coulson and Jemma scream, “NO!” at the same time.  The moment that Jemma had hit the ground, she barely winced before she bounced back up again and flew toward Sif and Skye as fast as she could.  As a result, when the passage between worlds opens up, the young scientist is only feet away.  Simmons is transported right along with them, leaving behind only a smoking glyph in the ground where the three had been standing.

             Fitz runs to the glyph, as if he wishes to pursue them.  He manages to exclaim, “Jemma?  Jemma?!  Skye!!” before his heart catches in his throat and stifles his cries.

            Coulson, on the other hand, falls weakly to his knees and whispers, “no…”.  He stares in confounded disbelief at the empty glyph, feeling his entire world crashing down around him.  Finally, he speaks into his comm and shakily tells the entire team, “Simmons and… and Skye.  They’re gone…”

 

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

 

           Skye ceases her struggling and clings to the warrior woman instead as the trio travels seemingly at the speed of light through a long vortex of beautiful, shimmering colors.  As soon as they land however, Skye only takes a brief glance around her at the very unfamiliar surroundings until she sees Simmons and starts struggling hard again.  “Jemma!!” she shrieks, reaching out to the biochemist, who looks none too steady on her feet.

           Jemma regains her equilibrium and looks around in awe, just taking note of the _giant, golden dome_ they seem to have arrived in.  At Skye’s cry however, she pushes aside her utter shock and bewilderment at having just traveled to another planet, and starts toward the little girl.  “Skye…”

          She is brought up short however, by Sif drawing her sword and bringing it slashing through the air only to stop 2 inches from Simmons’ throat.  Jemma gasps loudly and freezes where she stands, as Skye bursts into terrified tears. 

          “You were not meant to come here,” Sif states angrily, her eyes narrowed at the tiny scientist.

          “Please,” Jemma begs.  “Please, my Lady… she’s just a little girl.  Please, don’t hurt her!  Let me take her home…”

          “She is no little girl, I have seen it with my own eyes,” Sif counters.  “There is sorcery here, and we will discover how this has occurred.”

           Skye twists and squirms and even manages to kick the woman holding tight to her.  “Let me go!!” she cries, desperately trying to get to Jemma.  With one easy movement, Sif adjusted her grip and is soon holding Skye single-handedly in the air two feet away from her, by the back of the little girl’s shirt.  “Silence!” Sif booms at the now helpless child, making Skye cry even harder in fright.

           Afraid of what Sif might do if Skye truly incurs her wrath, Jemma says in a shaky, yet soothing voice, “darling, shhh… stay still.  Don’t fight her, little one.  It will be all right…”

           Suddenly a deep male voice comes from behind them, sounding ancient and wise.  “Shall I send the woman back to Midgard?” Heimdall asks.

          “Not without that little girl!” Simmons declares bravely, then gazes longingly at Skye and pleads with Sif once again.  “Please, my Lady… let me have the child.  She needs me…”

           Sif gives Jemma an appraising look and considers hard.  She glances at the child dangling in mid-air and notices how she has ceased fighting at Simmons’ command, now just crying helplessly.  Slowly she responds, “No, Heimdall.  The woman will stay here to care for the… ‘child’.  She poses no threat,” she decides, judging by the woman’s small, fragile-looking frame.  She sheathes her sword.

          Simmons lets out a breath she hadn’t been aware that she was holding, and manages a small smile.  “Thank you, my Lady,” she nods respectfully to Sif.  She then whispers gently to Skye, “it’s all right, baby… it’s all right.”

          Sif slowly lowers Skye to the ground, and the moment her little feet make contact with the golden platform, Skye flies to Jemma.  Simmons scoops her up into her arms and holds her close, feeling the child’s frightened sobs wracking her tiny body.  “Shhh,” she coos again, softly.  “I’ve got you, darling.  We’ll be all right.”

            Sif watches this interaction carefully, trying hard to understand… why is Skye in this child’s form, and what does it mean?  How is she so scared and so helpless, when last Sif saw her she was a formidable weapon?  It doesn’t seem at all that this child is the woman she knew, despite how much she resembles her.  But then how?!

            Sif straightens up, out of her confusion, and suddenly commands, “follow me.”

            Simmons carries Skye after Sif, and gasps in absolute amazement as they step out onto the rainbow bridge. 

           Simmons has never seen a more beautiful sight, even in her wildest dreams.  She nudges Skye and whispers, “sweetheart… look!”  Skye sniffles and lifts her head… and her jaw drops comically.  Both the woman and the child stare around in wonder at the sight.  Ahead in the distance seems to be _a large, futuristic city that grows right out of the sea.  Within view are immense rock carvings, pointed towers at least a mile high, and sleek spaceships flying by.  There are waterfalls everywhere and large, ancient trees seeming to grow in the most unlikely of places.  In the center of it all seems to be a beautifully elegant palace, ostensibly made of gold.  Unfamiliar planets and moons can be seen in the multicolored sky only a short distance away_ , and Skye actually reaches out a small hand as if she can touch one of them. 

          “Come,” Lady Sif commands in a sharp voice.  “We are going to see the king.”

           Simmons feels a thrill at this, both very nervous and excited.  She whispers into Skye’s ear, “did you hear that, darling?  We are going to meet a king!  We must be on our very best behavior… we must do as we are told, and say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ and, ‘yes, your majesty’…”  Simmons continues the instructions, basing them on everything she knows from learning about the royal family in England.

         Simmons hurries to catch up with Lady Sif’s quick, purposeful strides.  Soon she is feeling the extra weight, albeit minimal, that is Skye in her arms.  When she notices that every one of her _footsteps changes the metallic color in the rainbow bridge_ , she quickly points this out to Skye as well.  Just as she expected, Skye is soon wriggling to get down, so she too can see her footsteps emanate out in beautiful colors.  The little girl’s face lights up with delight despite the tear tracks that are still visible on her cheeks.

          Jemma takes Skye’s hand and begins to jog with her out of necessity, to keep up with the tall Asgardian that is their escort.  By the time they have crossed the entirety of the rainbow bridge Simmons is quite out of breath.  They are given a moment’s reprieve as they approach two giant stone doors guarded by at least 50 elite warriors.  Skye holds tightly to Jemma’s hand with both of hers and sidles behind her once more, nervously.

           “I must speak to the king.  Send a message to Thor as well,” Lady Sif declares clearly, with much authority.  Jemma can’t help but be impressed by the woman.

            Two guards in the back of the crowd part from the rest, and those left move to either side to create an aisle for the trio to walk through.  Skye tugs on Jemma’s shirt and whines quietly until the biochemist picks her up again.  Skye immediately hides her face in Jemma’s shoulder, peeking out only slightly at the overwhelming newness all around her.

           As they reach the great doors, which Jemma estimates must be about 100 feet tall, a guard approaches and salutes Lady Sif.  “King Odin has been informed of your presence, and wishes to meet with you in the throne room shortly.”

           Sif nods in agreement and quickly strides toward the doors, which open inwardly as she advances.  Simmons hops and hurries to keep up once again. 

        Rubbing Skye’s back soothingly, Jemma is once again in complete awe as she gazes around her.  They have entered into _an enormous hall, with thick columns of light stone running the length of it_.  Simmons is reminded of the vast dwarven halls in the ‘Lord of the Rings’[1] movies, only with much more light and air, and a soft elegance. 

           As the small group heads further and further down the hall, Jemma can make out a grand throne at the end of it.  She assumes that that is where they are heading, but Sif suddenly makes a sharp right turn down an inconspicuous hall, and pushes open the tall doors to another room.

          Both Jemma and Skye gasp as they enter it.  _The room is circular, and full of bright natural light and air.  There are no outer walls or windows, simply a banister in between more of the sturdy columns acting as barrier to the world beyond_.  There is a large 4-poster bed hung with deep red velvet curtains to the left, and the inner walls to the right are covered in mirrors that reach all the way to the vast ceiling. 

         “Here you will be properly attired,” Sif states.  “I will inform the king of events, and will return to fetch you presently.”

         “Yes, my Lady,” Jemma replies softly, setting Skye down and curtsying respectfully.

         Sif stifles a smile, then says kindly, “you need not bow to me, child.  I am but a simple warrior.”  With a nod, she turns and exits the room.

          Simmons blushes slightly, thinking that there is nothing ‘simple’ about the Asgardian woman.

        Skye loosens her grip on Jemma’s hand slightly as the two find themselves alone in the room.  After a long moment of gazing around, Skye finally breaks into a huge grin, and runs over to the bed.  She scrambles up onto it and begins jumping up and down, giggling.

          Simmons thinks that she ought to stop the child, maybe even scold her, but after all of the fear that Skye has experienced during the last hour or so, she simply laughs and shakes her head.  She makes her way over to the bed as well, to keep an eye on the girl as she plays.

         Moments later, the doors open once again.  Simmons quickly scoops the child off of the bed nervously and turns to peer at the newcomers.  Four women, (seemingly young though it is near impossible to tell with Asgardians) were entering, with thick bundles of silky fabric in their arms.  Each of them stop and give a slight nod, which Simmons returns.  They beckon silently to Jemma and Skye, moving toward the mirrors.

          Simmons carries Skye over quietly, whispering, “I believe they are going to give us clothes like theirs to wear.”

          Skye looks up at the woman nearest her.  “H-hi,” she says timidly.  “What’s your name?”

          The woman just smiles softly however and kneels to begin undressing the girl.

          When Skye continues to stare at the woman, confused, Simmons says quietly, “it seems that maybe they don’t talk, darling.”

          Skye tilts her head adorably at this information.  “Why not?”

          Simmons tries to hypothesize possible reasons, but determines that any explanation may be a bit too complicated for the child right now.  “I’m not sure.  But we are in a new place, and many things may be very different here.  We must respect their ways and customs.”

          Jemma feels quite bashful as she is silently directed to slip off her jeans, and one of the attendants aids her in lifting her shirt up and off.  Soon though, Simmons is dressed in a beautiful, flowing, emerald-colored gown that seems to make her eyes glow green.  A shimmering silver cloak is worn on top of this, as sleek as silk, giving off an effect of rippling water.

        Meanwhile, a nervous but excited little Skye is being draped in similar robes, a small deep purple gown with a cloak of sapphire blue.  The attendants try to offer the youngster a pair of lace up sandals, but Skye adamantly refuses to give up her little boots, despite Jemma’s encouragement.  The attendants do not press the issue, for which Simmons is quite grateful.

        The silent Asgardian women next tend to Skye’s hair, as the little girl happily sits in Jemma’s lap.  They brush it gently with an instrument that immediately makes it smooth and vibrant.  They then take the top half of her hair and tie it back in an elegant style, then place little white flowers resembling baby’s breath along the sides.  Jemma’s hair is combed with the same instrument, making her hair look full and healthier than ever. 

        After a gesture from one of the attendants, Simmons and Skye approach the mirrors and Simmons gasps.  “Oh darling… you look so beautiful,” she whispers, almost overwhelmed by the effect.  She kneels down next to Skye, smoothing her gown unnecessarily.

        Skye had giggled and twirled around in her gown, watching the fabric cascade gracefully around her almost hidden boots.  Now she turns to Jemma saying, “you do too!”, and leans in to give her beloved caretaker a big hug and a kiss.

        Sif had reentered the room quietly just in time to see the exchange.  She marvels at the show of love and affection, frowning in thought.  This… ‘child’… had been transformed by a Kree diviner.  She had become a monstrosity, an abomination that could shake the very foundations of the world on which she lived.  Sif had seen this ability with her own eyes.  But it is near impossible now to connect that unholy ‘weapon’ with the loving, helpless child before her.  Again comes that insatiable desire to know what had happened, and how.

         Sif steps forward, watching now as Simmons attempts to teach Skye how to curtsy.  She bites back a smile at the child’s uncoordinated efforts to mimic her guardian, then speaks up.  “The king requires your presence.”

         Simmons jumps slightly at this announcement, not having noticed Sif’s return.  She takes a deep, shaky breath as she nods her acknowledgement, then reaches for Skye’s hand.

        “Now remember sweetheart… our very best behavior,” she whispers, with a nervous smile.

         Skye nods her understanding, and replies softly, “yes, ma’am”.

         Jemma feels tears well up in her eyes as she is almost overcome with love for the radiant little girl in front of her.  She plants one more kiss on the child’s forehead, then leads her out after Sif, squeezing her little hand.

         Just before they leave the room, Skye looks back over her shoulder at the attendants and calls out, “thank you!” with a happy giggle, twirling her gown again.  The women smile fondly and wave in response.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

               

        Back on Earth, the team has reassembled in the field near the Bus, and Coulson explained the encounter with Sif.  Every single agent has a look of downright horror on their faces at the news of Jemma and Skye’s abduction.  Bobbi, like Coulson, collapses somewhat to the ground, feeling tears welling up in her eyes.  Mack looks livid, even dangerous, as he paces with his hands curled up into fists.  May has not moved but is also standing rigid with anger, a subtle look of shock disrupting the normally stoic expression on her face.  Fitz sits with his knees bent up, his forehead in his hands and tears slipping down his face.

      Hunter suddenly walks over to the nearest tree and kicks it hard, sounding a battle cry.  He pulls back a fist to punch the tree, to vent some of his feelings, but Coulson stops him with a hand grasping the man’s elbow.  “Your ribs are still healing,” Coulson reminds him quietly.

       Hunter jerks away in anger and frustration and takes several steps away, looking at Coulson.  “So… so, what?  That’s it??  We just accept that they’re gone and get back to the mission?”

       May steps forward quickly, but Coulson puts up a hand and she stops.  “No,” he replies firmly.  “We will get them both back.  We will not give up on them.  Ever,” he swears. 

       Bobbi clears her throat, trying to remain composed and looks up at Coulson.  “You… you don’t think the Asgardians would hurt them… do you?” she asks quietly, somewhat afraid to know the answer.  From Coulson’s account of what happened, Lady Sif had seemed very angry.

       Coulson swallows hard.  “I have known Sif to be a very good, reasonable woman.  Even when she wanted to take Skye away the first time, it was for the right reasons.  If we had just had a chance to explain…”  He suddenly gets an idea.  “We may not be able to contact Asgard ourselves, but there is someone we can seek for help.”

       With that, he pulls his phone out of his pocket, and quickly presses a few buttons.  A moment later, the team hears him say, “Agent Hill?  It’s me.  This is an emergency.  I need contact information for Jane Foster, immediately.”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

               Skye keeps a tight grip on Jemma’s hand as they continue down the immense hallway toward the great throne.  As they approach closer and closer, it becomes more apparent that there is now a man sitting upon it, and the bottom of the dais that it is constructed upon is guarded by several soldiers.  Simmons shivers as she can literally feel the power emanating from the man upon the throne.  “King Odin,” passes through her lips in an awed whisper, in disbelief that she is about to meet the man, the legend.

                Once they have arrived about five yards from the dais, Lady Sif unsheathes her sword and drops to one knee, her head bowed.  With a gentle squeeze of Skye’s hand Jemma imitates the warrior, kneeling quickly.  She looks to Skye and nods for her to do the same before bowing her head in respect.  The little girl obeys at once.

                Odin surveys the women and nods his satisfaction.  “Arise.”  He waits for them to do so, then asks sharply, “is this the one?  The weapon created by the diviner?”

                Both Jemma and Skye glance up to find the man staring at the little girl.  Skye blinks, utterly confused.  All she understands is that these people don’t seem to like her very much.

                Sif nods, “yes, my lord,” she responds.  “Although… it would seem that she has somehow undergone yet another transformation, and has no recollection of the former.”

                As Skye fidgets nervously, Odin sits forward in his seat, interested.  “And how is this possible?”

               “I do not know, my liege,” Sif admits.

                Odin’s eyes narrow as he stares at Skye.  “I do not trust this new sorcery.”

                Jemma suddenly steps forward quickly, summoning all of her courage.  “Please, your majesty… I can explain…”

                “Silence!” Odin erupts, standing to his feet.  Simmons immediately steps back again, her head bowed and her heart in her throat.  “There is clearly dark magic at the heart of the matter here, and we will discover the truth.  Take the child to the soul forge,” he commands, and several guards move forward.

                Simmons gasps, not liking the sound of this, and moves to protect Skye.  Before she can reach the little girl however, two guards have grabbed her arms and are restraining her.  “No… no, please!”

                Two more guards have captured the child, and Skye tries to fight them with all her might.  She shrieks and reaches out to Simmons again.  “Jemma!!” she cries desperately, tears starting to fall down her cheeks. 

             “I will take her,” Sif announces firmly, pushing the guards aside and lifting Skye up into her arms.  Skye immediately starts sobbing into Sif’s shoulder, weary and exhausted already by today’s roller coaster ride of emotions.  “Bring the young woman,” she adds, knowing that separating the two will only cause more distress.  “Your Jemma is coming too,” she says quietly to the child.  Skye glances up to confirm this, and her sobs subside slightly.

             The small party makes their way into another room off the hall, one that is filled yet again with wonders.  It is circular as well, but much smaller than they room they were dressed in.  This circular chamber is fully walled in, and the walls are lit only by a dim light that seems to flicker slightly, though Simmons cannot locate the source of it.  In the very center of the room is a vertical beam of gentle light that seems to be attracting millions of tiny white particles floating within it.

               Sif sets the child down and Skye immediately tries to move toward Simmons, but after only one step she is halted by an invisible force and finds that she cannot move.  Simmons looks around in fear and sees the great King standing opposite her, with his staff pointing at the little girl.  Suddenly Skye gasps, as she is smoothly lifted off the ground and floats toward the beam of light, seemingly by magic.

               Simmons, overwhelmed and feeling utterly helpless, lets out a quiet sob.  “Please… please, your majesty… what is it??  What are you…”

              “I am revealing her true nature,” Odin replies firmly.  “If she truly is just a human child, as you claim, no harm shall come to her.”

               Simmons shutters again, pressing her hands to her mouth as she watches Skye’s small form enter the column of particles. 

            The moment that the particles touch Skye’s arm, the child’s eyes close as if she sleeps, and her body rises gracefully to be enveloped in the soft light.  Her face lifts to the ceiling and her arms move slightly outward, resembling someone experiencing Nirvana.  Jemma gasps again as the particles surrounding the child begin to swirl faster and faster, around and even through her, as if examining her thoroughly.  The color of the particles changes continuously, a dark green fading into blue which melts into a purple then turns red.

            Suddenly, to Jemma’s very great surprise, there is a burst of white light and every particle turns to bright gold, illuminating the child like an angel.  The golden glow permeates throughout the room, instilling an immediate sense of great warmth and peace through everyone present.

               Simmons barely notices as the guards who had been restraining her slowly let go.  She just stares into the golden light as the small body glowing within is gently lowered to the ground.  The lights fades out when Skye is lain completely down, and Simmons finally comes back to her senses.

               She rushes forward.  “Skye… baby…”.  She kneels down and checks for the little girl’s pulse, then sighs with heavy relief as she finds it strong and normal.

              Sif is looking to her king, knowing that besides him, she is the only person present who knows what the golden particles mean.  After a nod from him Sif comes to Jemma’s side.  “She is all right.  She will sleep for some time now, and will remember none of this when she wakes.”

               Odin approaches now as well, gazing down at the sleeping child.  “Take her to the handmaidens,” he orders his guards, which Jemma understands to mean the attendants who had helped them prepare.  The great king of Asgard then turns to look at Jemma.  “You will accompany us and tell us of the child, and how this all came to pass.”

              Simmons nods, slowly.  “Yes, your majesty.”  She watches as a guard kneels and carefully picks up the sleeping child.  Skye doesn’t stir at all but remains peaceful and limp in his arms.  Reassured that the little girl will not be harmed, Simmons allows herself to be steered away by Sif, and follows her and Odin into a private chamber, where she recounts what happened with the cave-in and the mysterious object that Skye had touched.

 

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

 

          Meanwhile, Coulson speaks to Jane via videochat and the young woman is intrigued by what had happened.  She agrees to fly out to France at once and help however possible.  Coulson can see Darcy waving in the background, and hears her say, “Jane, did you say France?  Baguettes… and cheese!  Can I come too?  S’il vous plait?”  Jane rolls her eyes and waves her friend away, then listens as Phil makes arrangements for her to be picked up by the quinjet.

            The rest of the team, looking a bit more hopeful, all look to Coulson.  “What’s the plan, boss?” Mack asks, with no idea of who this Jane woman is or how she is supposed to help.

            Coulson stows his phone back in his pocket and starts heading back to the Bus.  Everyone follows and listens carefully as he explains.

          “We need to get in touch with Asgard.  Dr. Foster is a highly accomplished astrophysicist, an expert on Einsten-Rosen Bridges and even has experience trying to build portals between here and Asgard.  If we wish to attempt the same, we will undoubtedly need her help."

            Coulson pauses as he walks up the cargo ramp, and distractedly rubs a speck of dust off of Lola.  “Jane is also Thor’s… well, girlfriend, for lack of a better word.  If he makes contact with her, it behooves us that she be here, in our presence,” he explains, continuing on.  As the team reaches Command Coulson turns to Fitz.  “Fitz, I want that tablet on you *at all times*.  If the energy readings show that another Asgardian seems to be approaching, I want to know the moment that it happens.”

            “Yes, sir,” Leo replies, feeling better now that there is some sort of plan in place, even one that hinges on luck.

            “May, I want you in the cockpit, in direct communication at all times with the quinjet.  Let’s get Ms. Foster here quickly and safely.”

             May nods her understanding and walks off at once.

          “Bobbi, Hunter, Mack… there is little else we can do until Jane arrives, which should take a few hours.  I want you to go ahead with the Welcome.  The potential candidate is gifted, but not rumored to be dangerous.  Still, proceed with caution and follow protocol.  I will keep you updated on the situation here through comms.”

           The three nod, though not enthusiastically.  While they know their task is an important one, none of them much like leaving in the middle of a crisis like this.  Still, Mack looks to his two colleagues and says with forced determination, “come on.”

             Once everyone is off to fulfill their duties, Coulson makes his way to the lab.  On the way however, he pauses outside of May’s room.  He opens the door slowly and steps inside, looking around.  His heart aches as he sees the rocking chair sitting abandoned in the room, with only a light blanket and a children’s book on it.  He then looks to May’s bed and his throat constricts.  Swallowing hard, he moves forward and picks up Skye’s most precious possession… her stuffed monkey, Trip.  Coulson hugs the monkey to himself and can smell the little girl’s clean scent in the fur.  After a long, painful moment Phil sighs and replaces Trip back on the bed, then leaves the room and continues to the lab.

           Once there, he gently touches Simmons’ lab coat.  He feels another twinge of pain for the young woman who is so far beyond his reach… beyond his help right now.  Forcing himself to focus on the mission at hand, he moves to the holotable and pulls up the specs for the 0-8-4 that had transformed Skye.  He examines the file of notes he finds on the table, then studies the 3D projection of the object carefully.  He is sure that more information on it will prove quite useful. 

              Coulson’s comm crackles, startling him so much that he actually drops the file.

             “Coulson?” comes May’s voice.  “The quinjet is on route to pick up Jane.  It should touch down in two hours,” she reports.

           “Copy that,” Phil responds, kneeling down to retrieve the file.  Just before he goes to rise again, he spots something strange.  Peering intently into a thin gap in the table’s base, Phil catches sight of the edge of another file.  Wondering what on Earth it could be, Coulson crosses the room, seizes a pair of tweezers and returns.  He uses the tweezers to grasp the file and carefully pulls it out.  He sees ‘Classified’ written on the bottom right corner, in Jemma’s neat, slanted handwriting.

             Frowning, his eyebrows furrowed, Coulson sets the file on the holotable and opens it, peering inside.  Within seconds his eyes are wide and his mouth is ajar, in shock.  “Jemma,” he mutters quietly.  “What have you done?”

 

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

 

           Nearly two hours after the startling discovery at the soul forge, Skye is slowly starting to awaken.  Jemma is standing at the banister overlooking Asgard when she hears a quiet whine from the bed.  She turns and sees Skye stirring, then approaches the bed with a smile.  “Hello there, sweetheart,” she murmurs, gently stroking Skye’s dark hair, which is now somewhat tussled from her nap.

            The little girl calms a bit at Jemma’s voice and touch, but then she frowns as she feels around her.  “Trip,” she mutters.  “I can’t find Trip.”  Her eyes open and she sits up, looking around blearily.  Then her vision comes more into focus and she gazes around, then looks down at her gown.  She looks utterly confused for a moment, before recollection starts to set in.

             Jemma sits on the bed next to Skye, brushing the child’s hair out of her eyes.  “Do you remember, darling?” she asks gently.  “We are on Asgard… and we met a king!”

           But Skye’s eyes fill with tears suddenly, and Simmons understands.  The last thing that Skye remembers is being yelled at by an intimidating king, restrained from Jemma, frozen by magic, then floating through the air.  The little girl doesn’t know why or how, or anything that happened after that.

          “Oh no, no…” Simmons says quickly, gathering the youngster into her arms.  “Nothing bad happened, darling, I promise.  You just… took a nap,” she explains, wiping tears off of Skye’s face.  “And you know what?”

           Skye rubs her eyes with her fists and snuggles up to Jemma.  “What?” she asks, somewhat miserably.  It’s been a very trying day.

          “Well… I spoke to Lady Sif and the king, and they have decided that we are honored guests.” Jemma beams and squeezes the little girl tight.  “Now that they know that we are good people, they trust us, and we will be treated very well.  And darling, they will never try to take you away from me again,” she promises quietly, kissing the child’s forehead.

           Skye tries to take this all in in her sleepy state.  Finally she asks, just above a whisper, “can we go home now?”

           Simmons sighs at this question… she knew that it would come up.  “Well… not quite yet, darling.  They um… want to get to know us better first.  Become friends,” she states, somewhat lamely.  Explaining that the Asgardians are insisting on studying Skye would be a bit too much right now.

           Skye sighs too, and her stomach growls.  The two Earthlings had never had lunch after all.  “I’m hungry.”

           At this, Jemma beams again.  “Well, that’s good.  Because look at what they’ve brought us!” she exclaims happily, pointing across the room to a table that was brought in.

          Skye slides out of bed and heads to the table, her eyes lighting up as she sees what’s on it.  There is a mini banquet of absolutely delicious looking food!  There is a large plate of breads, another with a variety of cheeses, others filled with shiny fruits (some of which neither Jemma nor Skye have ever seen before), and yet more filled with small cakes.  There are also crystal decanters of drinks including water, a rich red wine for Jemma, and another light golden liquid that Jemma tests for Skye.  It turns out to be a form of apple cider, which the little girl enjoys immensely. 

           Skye hops up and down, finally feeling happy, and dives in.  Simmons chuckles and shakes her head, grabbing a plate for the girl and helping her fill it. 

          The two sit down and eat together, both gazing out at the beautiful backdrop that is their view.  Once they had eaten their fill, barely making a dent in the food provided, the doors to the room open and two attendants enter followed by Lady Sif. 

           Sif nods in greeting, smiling at them both.  “Did you have a good rest, little one?”

           Skye nods, subdued, still not sure how to feel about this woman.  She keeps her eyes on Sif as she crawls into Jemma’s lap.

           Sif returns the nod.  “Well, I am here to offer you both a tour, if you’d like.  You have seen very little of the palace.”

           Simmons gives Skye a gentle squeeze and says, “oh… well, that would be lovely, wouldn’t it?”

           Skye considers refusing, but as usual, curiosity gets the better of her.  She nods again…

           Sif leads the two out and walks them through the grounds of the palace.  Each new area they enter is more breathtaking than the last.  They are shown through the vast dining hall, where Skye is offered yet more cakes by one of the chefs.  They walk through the outdoor courtyard where warriors are honing their skills in battle.  Skye watches them, mesmerized, as _their swords flash silver every time that they connect with their opponents_.  From there they journey on through beautiful gardens out to a stable, where the largest, most beautiful horses they have ever seen are lodged.  However, these are not mere horses… approximately half of them have…

           “Wings!” Skye exclaims, excitedly.  She looks up at Sif.  “These horses can fly??”

            Lady Sif nods and smiles at the exuberant question.  “Oh yes.  The women that ride these horses are the Valkyrie, and the horses can carry them far beyond the clouds and even across worlds.”

            Skye starts toward the horses but Sif puts out a quick hand and stops her.  “But one must not get too close.  It is dangerous for anyone other than their rider to approach them,” she explains seriously.

            Skye is too fascinated by them to get too disappointed.  She just slips her hand back into Jemma’s and continues to stare.

            The next leg of their tour brings them back inside the castle.  Lady Sif shows them to the royal bathhouse, where baths the size of small swimming pools are set at comfortable distances from each other.  Each pool bubbles and ripples invitingly, and lets off a different colored steam.  When Sif states that they may use this bathhouse during their stay, Jemma beams and looks at Skye.  “Well, what a nice treat our bath will be tonight!”  Skye giggles and points to the pool emitting purple steam.  Jemma is not at all surprised when the little girl declares, “I want that one!”

          From there, they traipse through the most magnificent library imaginable.  It is another immense circular room, with a ceiling so high one can’t even make it out.  The books range in size from small journals with only a few pages to historical and philosophical volumes so thick and heavy that a single mortal can’t lift them.  In order to reach the higher shelves one has only to step onto a round plate in the floor, and it will lift into the air and move by the power of one’s thoughts.  Simmons entertains the idea that even if she lived here, in this room, for the rest of her life, she would probably only make it through about 5% of the literature offered.  The idea brings great joy.

            The librarian, or ‘keeper of the ways’ as they refer to him here, comes forward and offers the mortals a few children’s books to look at during their stay.  Skye picks out several with the flying horses on the covers, as well as one that is a children’s biography on the beautiful former queen of Asgard, Frigga.  When Jemma timidly asks for a book on scientific discoveries in the past few centuries, she is presented with an armful, much to her delight.  The keeper seems impressed with her request, and invites her back whenever she’d like to peruse the books.

           Feeling thoroughly cheerful now that everyone is being so nice to her, Skye becomes a bit more bold in her explorations.  She skips down hallways and runs ahead to peer into rooms, seeing conference rooms, ballrooms and rooms devoted to strategic planning during times of war.  Jemma admonishes her gently several times for entering rooms without permission, but is having a hard time keeping up under the weight of the books in her arms. 

            Finally, the trio enters the royal family’s wing of the palace.  While it is explained that the king and his son, Thor, (Jemma feels another thrill at the sound of his name) dwell in this wing, Sif adds that it is forbidden for anyone else to enter their private chambers without invitation.  As they walk by many rooms without entering, Skye starts to look disappointed… until she comes across a room with its door slightly ajar.  She runs up to the crack in the door and peeks inside, then gasps and pushes the doors open more to enter. 

           “Skye,” both Jemma and Sif say sternly, at the same time.  Jemma makes to go after her, but upon turning into the room and seeing what is inside, Jemma too gasps and sways, and the topmost book in her arms falls to the ground with a loud thud.

           Simmons blushes as seemingly out of nowhere a handmaiden turns up and silently takes the books from her.  With a gesture down the hall, Jemma understands that the books will be taken to her and Skye’s room.  “Thank you,” she mutters apologetically.

           Sif had caught up to Skye and lifted her into her arms before the child could touch a large plant she had been reaching for.  “This is the solarium… and it is extremely important that you not touch anything within this room,” she tells her sternly.  “This room houses many of Asgard’s most mysterious plants and objects… some of which may be quite dangerous.”

           Simmons was still gazing around open-mouthed at the room’s contents _.  There are trees and plants that seem to stretch all the way into the heavens… which is exactly what the ceiling, if there even is one, resembles.  Though it is only late afternoon, a dark night sky is depicted above them.  But stranger still there are several of what look like portals, providing a glimpse into another world.  Each is differently colored_ … when Simmons spots one that is mostly blue dappled with green she asks, “is that… is that Earth?”

            Sif looks up, still holding Skye.  “That is Midgard… your world,” she confirms.

            Simmons is fascinated, mostly by the science of it.  “Midgard…” she mutters.  “And… is that actually a way in, or is it only a window to glimpse it through?”

           “That is a portal.  It is also a way for King Odin to keep an eye on Midgard, as it is under his protection,” she adds.

          Skye’s curiosity now overcomes her again and she asks Sif all about the other portals drifting high above.  Lady Sif shows great patience as she points out which one is _Svartelheim, Vanaheim, Ria and Norheim_ , giving a bit of background on each.  Skye wriggles a couple of times to get down, but Sif holds her securely.  “No, little one, you must be in the arms of an adult to be in this room.  It is for your safety.”

            At this, Skye whines a bit and reaches out for her guardian instead.  “Jemma…”

           Simmons finally closes her mouth and walks over with a smile, taking Skye into her arms.  When Skye squirms again to get down, Simmons instinctually pats her bottom firmly and shakes her head.  “No darling, you heard what Lady Sif said.  Are we all done in here?”

            Skye pouts and lays her head on Jemma’s shoulder briefly, then nods. 

           “Very well,” Simmons replies softly, rubbing Skye’s back.  She turns back to Lady Sif with a smile.  “Thank you, my Lady, for this wonderful tour.  Asgard is remarkably beautiful.”

            After a whispered prompt from Jemma, Skye too says, “yeah, thank you, Lady”. 

            Simmons stifles a chuckle as Sif smiles at the two.  “You are very welcome.  You are now at your leisure.  What would you like to do?”

            Simmons looks at Skye, then responds, “I think it would be lovely to go sit in the gardens and read our books,” she decides, thinking it would be a fine way to keep Skye out of trouble.

            Sif nods.  “The handmaidens will be at your service while you are here, should you require anything.”  She turns to go, but Simmons steps forward quickly and gently touches her arm.

          “Pardon me, Lady Sif, but I wonder… is there perhaps a way that we could send a message to our team on Ear… on Midgard, please?  I know they must be worrying, and I’d like to let them know we are all right.”

          Simmons fidgets slightly while waiting for a response from the tall warrior.  Finally Sif says, “I will discuss it with the Allfather.  Though I predict that he will allow no contact until our evaluations are made.”  She looks pointedly at Skye, and Jemma nods her understanding, doing well at hiding her disappointment.

           As she sets off to the room to pick up their books, she wonders at what their team is up to, and frets at how worried they must be…

 

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

 

         After discovering the shocking hidden file in the lab, Coulson immediately calls Fitz down to join him.

       “Did you know about this?” he asks, accusingly, the moment that Leo enters the lab.

        Fitz, looking startled at Coulson’s tone, approaches the holotable and peers down at the file.  He reads it carefully and his jaw drops.  “She solved it… “.  He reads it once again to be sure of what he’s seeing, then looks up at Coulson.  “Sir, I swear, I’ve never seen this before.  I haven’t been in the lab at all over the past week… this… this is… “

        The Director believes Fitz, but still can’t believe it of Simmons.  “This is a cure.  A cure… just sitting here gathering dust and… why would she not tell us?” he asks incredulously.

         Fitz rubs his temples, feeling a headache coming on.  “Well… I do have one th-theory, sir…”.

        Coulson looks at him.

         Fitz shrugs, as if it’s obvious.  “She doesn’t want to reverse what’s happened.  She wants Skye to remain a child.”

       Phil continues to stare at him.  Naturally, Coulson has given this a lot of thought.  But while he personally quite agree, and would have been happy giving up the search for a ‘cure’ altogether, he had sincerely thought that the others would disagree, or would think him a terrible Director.  He had felt it his duty to ensure that they figured out a solution.  Coulson swallows, then asks Fitz, “and what do you think?”

        Leo looks down, thinking hard.  He has given it a lot of thought as well, but still doesn’t have a ready answer.  “I-I don’t know, sir.  I do try to think of what choice Skye would make, if she could.  And… something inside me says that she would want this second chance.  This chance at a-a childhood and to grow up in a family.”

          Phil sighs heavily, feeling the weight of the world riding on his shoulders.  Suddenly wishing he had never found the file, he looks again at Fitz.  “So… what do we do?” he asks.

          Leo blinks.  It was very uncharacteristic of Coulson to ask his advice… he has always been a very decisive Director.

          Before he can respond, however, they hear May’s voice through the comms again.  “Sir… the Welcome was a success.  We have a new ally.”

        Phil sighs with relief, happy for some good news.  “Fantastic,” he replies.  “Have Bobbi lead the intake assessment, and then order them back here.  Oh… and… send him a gift basket.  Something with… muffins.”

         Fitz snorts, glad to have his Director back.  May is silent for a long moment before they hear her reply, “yes, sir,” with a smirk in her voice.

        Coulson glances once again at the file, then closes it with a slap.  “We will discuss this as a team, but not until the girls are back.  We certainly can’t administer a cure to someone who is a world away.”  That decision made he turns and walks out, heading to the cockpit to check on the status of the quinjet.

 

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

 

                If Simmons had thought that reading outside would be a surefire way to keep Skye out of trouble, she was quite mistaken.  Skye sits in Jemma’s lap and follows along with a story about the flying horses for only a few minutes before she learns that the male horses are a chestnut color, while the females are pure white.  “Really?!” she exclaims, jumping up at once.  “Let’s go see!”  With that, she takes off in the direction of the stables again. 

                With a weary sigh, Simmons stands up and follows after her, calling, “Skye, wait for me, please!”

                But the little girl is too excited, and rather too full of energy.  She easily darts around the Asgardians she passes, while Simmons is held up, trying hard not to bump into anyone.

               “Skye, come back here!” she tries again.

              But to no avail.  Skye knows where she is going and knows that Jemma will catch up.  The youngster soon comes upon the stables and walks inside.  From the entry, she can only see about 6 of the stalls.  Of these, only two of the horses have wings, and they are both a chestnut color.  She enters and starts to head down the aisle, eager to find some females.

                Simmons arrives at the stables, out of breath, just in time to see it happen.  Skye hears a loud SNAP right near her left ear and gasps, stumbling backward to the ground.  The huge chestnut was leaning over the wall of his stall, attempting to take a bite out of the little girl.

               Jemma’s heart catches in her throat.  “Skye!  Don’t stand up!  Stay down honey… crawl back toward me, nice and slow,” she instructs, praying that the huge horse doesn’t just break his wall down and trample the child.

                But Skye doesn’t respond.  She seems paralyzed with fear, staring up at the horse as it snaps his teeth again and kicks at his stall door, coming seemingly closer. 

               “Skye?!” Jemma tries again, her own fear mounting.  When the little girl doesn’t respond again, Simmons falls to the ground and does a slow military crawl into the stable.  She avoids making eye contact with any of the winged horses, knowing that in the animal kingdom that can construed as a sign of aggression.  As soon as she is able, she grabs Skye from behind and turns her over to all fours, then nudges her ahead in a quick crawl back outside. 

               As soon as they clear the stable doors, Simmons gasps loudly, having been holding her breath.  Hearing her heart pounding in her own ears, she reaches over to Skye, who still looks too shocked to react yet.  “Are… are you ok?  Baby, are you hurt??” she asks.

               Skye finally looks up at her, and slowly shakes her head.  Then the terror of what just happened catches up to her and she begins to cry.

              Simmons is simultaneously saddened by the tears, and relieved that the child is now doing something as normal as crying about the situation.  With a heavy sigh, Simmons stands and picks the little girl up, holding her close.  “I know, darling,” she coos.  “That was very scary, wasn’t it?”

               Skye nods as she continues to sob, clinging hard to her guardian and trembling. 

               Jemma does feel sympathy for the youngster, but she’s also upset and frustrated.  “Do you know why that just happened, Skye?  It happened because you did not listen.  Lady Sif told you not to get close to the horses, and you did.  When you were running over here, I told you to wait for me.  You didn’t listen again… and you almost got very hurt.”

             Much to her own surprise, Simmons lands a swat to the little girl’s bottom.  It was firm, but she knows that Skye could barely have felt it through her gown and cloak.  Still, it is meaningful, and Skye begins crying harder, burying her face in Jemma’s chest.

               Simmons sighs and takes a deep shaky breath.  What just happened had terrified her, too… and she knows that that is a testament to just how much she cares about this little waif. 

            She also can’t believe that she just struck Skye.  She never thought she could do such a thing.  The little girl’s crying tears at her heart, making her feel exceedingly guilty.  Jemma knows she’s being ridiculous, that that one little swat hadn’t hurt, but she just can’t believe that she’s the one who did it.

              Still, she thinks back to her own words to Skye shortly after the child had ‘arrived’.  “I suppose I would rather learn a lesson from a spanking than from getting hurt by fighters practicing in the ring.”  It was true then, and this is such a similar situation.  Wouldn’t she, Jemma, rather that Skye learn an important lesson from a few swats to the bum, than to have been injured or even killed by a flying horse?!  (She shakes her head at this thought, never having considered that she’d have to protect Skye from things such as flying horses.) 

              Simmons had told Skye something else that day that clearly applied here as well… “when Agent May punished me for doing something dangerous, that was her way of showing me that she cares… that she doesn’t want me to get hurt.”  Jemma swallows hard.  She truly understands now.  Whether she wants to or not, she *must* be involved in Skye’s discipline, because she loves her, because she cares.  If she truly loves Skye as much as she thinks she does, she must do whatever it takes to keep her safe, even punish her when needed.  This is true right now more than ever; who else here was going to do it? 

            With the thought that she couldn’t live with herself if something serious ever happened to Skye, Jemma swallows hard and pulls away from the youngster in order to look into her eyes.  “Look at me, baby,” she orders softly.  When Skye continues to look down, crying, Jemma tries to sound more stern.  “Skye… look at me.”  The little girl finally looks up miserably, and Jemma’s resolve melts, but she quickly pushes that aside.  Looking into the child’s eyes, she forces herself to say, “you’ve been having a hard time listening and obeying lately.  That has got to stop.  If you ignore me or disobey me like that again, Skye, you’re going to get a spanking.”

            Skye gives out another great sob and clings again to Jemma, even tighter now.  It’s all that Simmons can take and she wraps her arms securely around the little girl again.  She kisses the top of Skye’s head and whispers, for the first time, “I love you, darling.  Oh, how I love you so much.”

            Jemma feels a few tears slide down her own cheeks, and quickly seeks a way to lighten the mood again.  “Well, now, look at us.  We are covered in dirt… and even on our beautiful new robes.  I think… that it is time to go take a nice, relaxing bath… in the purple tub!” she adds, knowing that that will be Skye’s next request.

            Skye looks a bit more cheerful at this and nods.  She doesn’t mind baths in regular tubs now, but she is looking forward to playing in the big, fancy ones.

            Jemma wipes away Skye’s tears and gives her one last hug before setting her down.  She takes the little girl’s hand and leads her back into the castle…

           Ten minutes later the two mortals are settling into the perfectly warm water.  Skye immediately starts playing with a golden faucet, and is delighted when turning it makes thin fountains of water arch into the pool from every corner.  She next presses a button that changes the color of the light within the water, pressing it again and again until she found purple. 

            Once that was done, Skye gets hold of a bottle of silvery liquid and pours some in.  She may have emptied the entire bottle if Jemma hadn’t quickly grabbed it from her.  It is good that Jemma did, because within 15 seconds the entire surface of the water is filled with a thick shimmering foam.  Skye shrieks with delight and Simmons scoops her up and sits her on her lap, hugging her close.  “You are just getting into everything today, little one!” she chides, tickling the child.

          Skye giggles and tries to tickle Jemma back.  “Oh, really??” Jemma asks, with a mischievous grin.  She gives Skye a little splash, chuckling.  Skye laughs too and tries to splash Jemma back.  In her enthusiasm however, she steps back and loses her balance on the tub’s inner step, and disappears under the foam in the middle of the pool. 

             Jemma grins… and waits for the little girl to resurface. When Skye doesn’t after a few seconds, Jemma grows concerned.  She goes to step into the middle of the pool as well, but gasps as there is no floor there and she too is dunked.  Simmons feels a moment of panic, as memories of _her ordeal in the ocean_ flood back to her, but she forces herself to act, not react.  Flailing around she feels the child’s soft skin and grabs her, pulling Skye up along with her.

             Both sputter and cough as Simmons swims them back to the steps.  “What on Earth…?!” she remarks, then shakes her head.  “We’re not on Earth… right,” she quips, patting Skye firmly on the back as the child coughs.  She looks at the youngster, bemused.  “Well, that was an adventure.  Are you all right?”

             Skye coughs once more, then nods, clinging to Jemma. 

             Simmons hugs her, still patting her back.  “Darling… do you know how to swim?” she asks curiously.

             Much as she expected, Skye shakes her head.  Who would have taken the time to teach her, while she was moved from place to place so much?

            “Oh… well, we shall fix that!” Jemma states enthusiastically, glad at least that Skye isn’t afraid of the water.  “Swimming is a very important skill, honey, and I can teach you.”

             30 minutes later both Simmons and Skye are very prune-y, but Skye now knows how to blow bubbles, hold her breath under the surface, and tread water quite well.  Simmons feels infinitely more at ease now that Skye has these rudimentary skills, and the two leave the water quite satisfied and perfectly clean again.

            Upon leaving the water, Simmons sees handmaidens beckoning to them from across the room, and she leads Skye over, blushing modestly.  As they approach the Asgardian women, the mortals feel a sudden warm breeze, and their bodies and hair are dried instantly.  Simmons and Skye look at each other in wonder, and allow the handmaidens to dress them once again, their gowns immaculate and warm.

             Once ready, they are led to the great dining hall, where a feast seems to have been prepared.  Lady Sif greets the two mortals, and invites them to sit at her own table.  As hundreds of Asgardians wander in at their leisure, the three eat their fill of the endless amounts of rich, delicious foods provided.  Once done, they chat merrily about the day’s adventures, (although Sif plays her part well in scolding Skye about the horses). 

              When Skye exclaims excitedly that she can swim now, Sif raises her eyebrows.  “Well then… maybe you and your Jemma should visit the pools of Valhalla tomorrow.  They are quite beautiful.”

              The little girl immediately turns to Jemma.  “Can we, Jemma?  Please?  I wanna swim some more!”

              Simmons strokes the youngster’s cheek affectionately.  “If you are very, very good,” she decides, with a soft smile.

              Satisfied with that, Skye grins and finishes up a little cake that had been presented to her directly by the chef again.

             The talk in the hall is loud and exuberant, and Skye watches people around her curiously.  She blinks when a large warrior suddenly tosses his mug behind him, and listens as it crashes to the floor and shatters.  Skye looks up at Simmons with wide eyes.  “He did that on purpose!” she exclaims in a loud whisper.  “He shouldn’t throw his cup, huh?”

              Simmons nods seriously.  “That’s right.  He really should be in big trouble.”

              A few minutes later Jemma notices Skye give a big yawn and glances outside.  “My Lady… may I ask what time it is?  It feels like it’s about 10:00, but it looks to be only dusk.”

              Sif blinks, then nods as she remembers.  “Ah… but time moves differently here than on Midgard.  Here we have 33-hour days.  It is presently the 23rd hour,” she explains.

              Simmons gasps softly.  As brilliant as she is, she can’t immediately work out what that means.  One can’t assume after all that daytime here is the same as daytime on Earth, or that their travel across the Einstein-Rosen bridge hadn’t included a time lapse.  All she does know from this information is that Skye has been up for far too long.

            “Darling… it is way past your bedtime,” Simmons states, wiping the little girl’s messy face with a cloth, and moving to rise.  She smiles at Lady Sif.  “If you will excuse us, my Lady?”

            “Of course,” Sif responds, standing as well.  “If you need anything, do not hesitate to send word with a handmaiden.”

            Simmons smiles and nods her thanks. 

            “Good night to you, young Skye,” Sif says fondly, kneeling and gently lifting the child’s chin with her hand.  “I wish you pleasant dreams.”

            After a moment’s hesitation, Skye moves in and gives the tall warrior a hug.  Sif tenses momentarily and looks to Simmons, who is smiling with both pride and great affection for the girl.  At Jemma’s nod, Sif awkwardly pats Skye on the back and manages a smile as the child pulls away.

           “Good night, Lady,” Skye says, taking Jemma’s hand.

           “Sleep well, little one.”

           As Simmons leads Skye out of the hall however, the child whines quietly, and looks disgruntled at the idea of bedtime.  “I’n not tired Jemma… I don’t wanna go to bed.  Let’s go play hide-and-seek in the garden!” she suggests.

           Jemma sighs and shakes her head.  “I’m sorry darling, but it is very, very late.  Much past your bedtime.”

          “But it’s not even dark out!” Skye counters.

           Not really up for a discussion on quantum physics right now, Jemma pats the little hand in hers and says simply, “it is where we come from.  It’s bedtime.  We will play more in the morning,” she promises.

         Skye pouts as Simmons ushers her into their room ahead of her.  Her pout fades quickly however as they both gaze out through the columns at the beginning of an Asgardian sunset.  Both mortals gasp softly and head straight for the banister.  The sky beyond is a bright gold on the horizon, but cycles through a myriad of colors as one looks up from there: dark orange to red to purple to blue.  At least three moons are visible, one so close it is easy to imagine reaching out to touch it.  There is a scent of wisteria and jasmine in the air, and the overall effect of their beautiful surroundings casts such a serene peace on both newcomers, that they both sigh contentedly at the same time.

         Jemma smiles down at her little ward and lifts her into her arms.  As Skye lays her head on Jemma’s shoulder, still gazing out at Asgard, the little girl asks quietly, “Jemma?  How long are we gonna stay here?”

          Simmons considers the question, wishing she had a definite answer.  “I’m not sure sweetheart.  It is awfully beautiful here, isn’t it?”

          Skye twirls a lock of Jemma’s hair around her fingers.  “Uh-huh… but I miss Bobbi and Hunter and Mack and Fitz and May and Director Coulson… and Trip,” she admits, with a touch of sadness in her voice. 

         Simmons squeezes her tight, thinking of her teammates and wishing she could communicate with them.  “I do too, darling… I do, too,” she agrees, kissing Skye’s forehead.  “I trust that we will see them again soon.”

         The two watch the sun slowly sink deeper below the horizon, then Simmons says, “all right.  It’s time to get ready for bed.”  She looks toward the bed and spots two simple gowns laid out… a light brown one for her, and a sky blue one for Skye.  She also notices all of their loaned books on the nightstand, even those that had been left in the garden.  Simmons smiles fondly, shaking her head… the attendants here provide outstanding service.

         Jemma offers up some bedtime reading as she dresses Skye for bed, but Skye has a different request.  Somewhat timidly, the child asks, “can you tell me a story, instead?”  There seems a hesitancy behind this request, as if Skye fears she is asking too much.  Simmons guesses that the youngster has had this request denied many times in the past.  With that in mind, although she is tired, Jemma smiles and nods.  “Of course I will, darling.”

         And so, as they climb into bed and snuggle into the soft, silky covers, Jemma begins a story about a young woman named Skye.  “She had grown up quite alone, always moving from place to place, with no home or family to call her own.  But she was very smart, and very brave and very beautiful.  She was also excellent with computers, and that got her into trouble one day with a certain organization… one that she eventually joined and began working for.  She didn’t trust them at first, and they didn’t trust her.  But after some time, they all learned to trust each other, and they became a family…”

         Skye loves that the woman in the story shares her name, and snuggles up close to Jemma to listen.  Despite the early similarities, not once does it dawn on the happy little girl that the story being told was once her own…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**Continued in ‘Interplanetary Adventures, Part 2’**

 

[1] _Lord of the Rings trilogy_.  Directed by Peter Jackson.  New Line Cinema.

**Author's Note:**

> I appreciate all positive feedback on my works, and it encourages me to post more. Thank you for every 'Kudos' that you leave, and for telling me what you enjoy about my writing. Happy Reading!


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